


If only his body looked like it did in his mind's eye

by poohsticks



Series: Queeroes of Olympus [1]
Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: Gen, M/M, Queeroes of Olympus, Trans Character, Trans Male Character, Trans Nico
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-29
Updated: 2015-06-29
Packaged: 2018-04-06 17:10:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,679
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4230024
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/poohsticks/pseuds/poohsticks
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Nico isn't ready to come out and manages to avoid it, until he doesn't. But it's not as bad as he feared.</p><p>Nico is a trans guy.<br/>Will is not straight (works with any non-straight headcannon)</p>
            </blockquote>





	If only his body looked like it did in his mind's eye

Nico thanked the gods every time he got back to his cabin that it was just that, his. He guessed he should have just thanked Hades for not having any more kids but Nico was one to try keep on all the gods’ good sides. Unlike Percy who didn’t know when it was in his best interest to shut the hell up.

Hazel sometimes came to visit the camp but she generally spent time in Zeus’ cabin with Jason. And they were probably glad that Zeus hadn’t had any more kids either.

Nico liked to shut all the blinds to the cabin when he got back, switch on the lamps and latch the door. He then felt safe enough to strip off his aviator jacket, t-shirt and finally his binder. He could stretch and fill his lungs breathing free of the binder’s slight constriction. He liked to walk around the cabin with only a shirt on to give his chest a rest.

Hazel had once questioned why he only had a tiny mirror in the bathroom he only shrugged and said that the cabin came like that. Explaining that he’d taken down all the mirrors in the cabin because they’d made him cry in the morning when he saw himself binder free. Or when he’d caught sight of himself in the mirror whilst showering. Even having to look at his soft features in the mirror over the desk when he sat there. He had hated all the reminders that his body didn’t look like he saw it in his mind’s eye.

Not having to explain himself to cabin mates was truly a blessing. Nico wasn’t sure he was ready for that yet, not after his first attempt at coming out. It had taken a lot to even ask Bianca to call him Nico. She thought it suited him better but that didn’t help him pluck up the courage to tell her his reason for the change, let alone trying to explain that he didn’t think he was Bianca’s little sister. And now that he was sure he wasn’t it was too late.

Percy was the second person he’d nearly told. The son of Poseidon had pestered Nico about not wanting to learn to swim. As soon as Percy had found out that Nico had never learnt he offered his services. Promising that he would never let any harm come to Nico whilst he was in the water. Nico had declined but Percy was so persistent and pestered Nico about it at least twice a day. That was until Nico snapped. He had almost told Percy that it wasn’t that he didn’t want to learn it was just that he would never wear a bathing suit in public. In the end he had just lashed out at Percy with harsh words which he immediately regretted.

Hazel was the next one to come close. Nico had been in his cabin, binder off as usual. He could hear people milling about outside as it was nearly time for a game of capture the flag. He was never worried about people getting in as everyone always knocked and only children of hades could open the door without permission anyway, yet another reason to be thankful for the big three’s pact. But Hazel liked to surprise him. And that included surprise visits to camp half blood. Usually he would be at dinner or sat round the campfire and feel a pair of arms wrap around his neck in a backwards hug. Then he’s turn around and sure enough there’d be Hazel with a massive grin on her face. Nico usually loved the surprise visits from his sister. But this time not so much. Nico was in the bathroom in boxers and a t-shirt getting ready for the game of capture the flag. He heard the door to the cabin being opened and popped his head out of the bathroom wondering who could have managed to get in. He didn’t immediately think to cover himself as he didn’t usually think about his body not looking how others would expect. When he saw a mass of curly hair round the edge of the door his mind kicked in and he grabbed the bathroom door handle quickly pulling it shut. He was relieved that he had brought his clothes into the bathroom with him and managed to get changed and compose himself before Hazel could see anything was awry.

Nico was almost accidently outed to Jason. The son of the sky hadn’t known what to get Hazel for valentine’s day, as if Nico would, but Jason had decided to ask anyway. And because they were demi-gods it wasn’t like Jason could use something nice and none intrusive like a phone. No, instead he decided to iris message the Hade’s cabin in the middle of the night when Nico would obviously be sleeping. He claimed it was the only time he could guarantee Hazel wasn’t listening but Nico was still annoyed despite his reasoning. Nico tried to be good to his body and never wore a binder whilst sleeping so even if Jason had accused him of being scared he had good reason to grab the bedsheets and clutch them tightly to his chest when Jason woke him up.

***

The first person Nico did tell was Will. And it wasn’t out of choice. The two boys were close. Close enough for Will to demand that Nico join the Apollo cabin every time they played capture the flag when previously he’d been like the asthmatic kid in gym class when it came to choosing teams. Will also demanded, with that radiant smile that Nico doubted anyone could say no to, that they be partnered up in any and all activities. At first Nico had thought he was just being kind to the guy who usually got left out of everything but then it seemed like Will actually enjoyed spending time with him. And he had to agree with the son of Apollo that they did work well together. Maybe a little too well. Soon rumours about the nature of their relationship had been spread around camp. They were unfounded of course but that didn’t mean Nico wouldn’t like them not to be.

Nico decided that maybe he did like capture the flag after all. And maybe that was because he was teamed up with Will. And maybe they did make an excellent team when they fought together but that turned out not to be the only reason why they teamed up.

Nico had come to terms with the fact that he definitely had feelings for Will. He had also come to terms with the knowledge that those feelings were unlikely to be reciprocated.

Will and Nico usually defended the flag but had been put on scouting duty for a change because they had joined with the Ares cabin and no one argues with Clarisse. Will seemed nervous, too nervous for it just to be the game affecting him. Nico nudged his friend’s shoulder wondering what was up with him. Will began to speak like he just couldn’t hold back the words anymore. Amongst all the babbling he admitted he had feelings for Nico that were of more than just a friendly nature. And Nico, though a little shocked reassured him that he felt the same. The two boys shuffled closer leaning in for a hug, wanting each other’s reassurance and comfort. Will’s back was to a tree and his eyes were focused on Nico. Nico’s eyes on will in return, but his back was wide open. The couple seemed to have forgotten that they were in the middle of combat but an arrow that neither of them saw served as a reminder.

It shot through the air towards the two boys. It’s target was unknown but it made a target of Nico’s back. The injured boy slumped forward with a gasp of pain. Will saw the arrow protruding from the edge of Nico’s back in line with the bottom of his armpit just before where his armour started. The arrow hadn’t gone all the way through but there was still a concerning amount of blood soaking into Nico’s shirt around the entry wound.

Will’s inborn medical instincts kicked in and he hoisted Nico up onto his shoulder so he could support his weight as he half dragged, half carried Nico towards the infirmary. He let Nico flop over one of the beds and began carefully removing his armour. He then had to cut away the shirt so as not to disturb the arrow. Will expected to see bare skin beneath but he peeled away the shirt that had started to stick with all the blood it was soaking up only to see another layer of dark fabric beneath. At first Will just assumed it was an undershirt but it soon became apparent that it was more than that.

Will stepped away from the bed so he could draw the curtains around it to offer the now unconscious Nico some more privacy. He grabbed some medical supplies and as much ambrosia as he thought would be safe then got to work.

Several hours later Nico woke up to his hair being stroked. He opened his eyes to see who was doing the soothing motion but was more surprised to find that he was in the infirmary. Will, who was good at knowing what patients needed, immediately gave Nico an account of what happened and on how his injuries had been doing on last inspection doing. Nico began to relax again into Will’s touch when he realised that he was wearing nothing but a binder on his chest. He gasped and tried to cover himself with the blanket even though he realised it was far too late for Will not to have seen.

Will kept up the soothing rhythm of his stroking and tried to reassure Nico that this knowledge changed nothing to him. He whispered relaxing things to Nico until he fell asleep again from the exhaustion of being injured.


End file.
